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“I gathered as much.”
“Are you going to sue me? Will you take my daughter… our daughter… away from me?”
I didn’t see the point of fighting and tears when we had the same goal in mind: Kensi’s well being.
“No, of course not. I may be her biological mother, but you’re her mother as well, and she loves you.”
The PA system called code blue, and we jumped up, staring at the elevator and praying no doctor would come with the news that James hadn’t made it. After what felt like forever, I broke the silence.
“Are you okay with this, Tiffany? Me being Kensi’s mother and all? Because I adore your co-parenting with James. But I can’t deny I want to be part of Kensi’s life. I want to be part of your and Kensi’s lives. Who says a child can’t have two mothers? Don’t they say it takes a village to raise a child? We’re not a village, but I’m sure we can all use help, and the kids love one another—”
She lowered her hand over mine, stopping me. “Laura, you don’t need to sell me on the idea of the three of us raising the girls together. It’s worked for me and James for years, and you found Kensi. I can see how well she takes to you. Besides, three pairs of hands are better than two. But you’re not going to sue me, are you?”
“No.” I gave her a warmer smile. “I’d prefer spending the time bonding with my new family. Listen, this surgery may take a while. Do you want to get some coffee? Maybe we’ll run into Jacob and Kensi. I could pass the time looking at that girl’s smile.”
She grinned with pride, like Kensi had gotten her bright smile from Tiffany. Well, she wouldn’t be wrong.
“Coffee sounds perfect.”
* * *
The surgery lasted three hours, and the doctors said it was successful. James was recovering in his room. Kensi kissed him on his forehead while he was sedated and left for home with Tiffany, who hugged me before leaving. She held on tighter than I expected, whispering, “We can make this work.”
I held Kensi in my arms and said my goodbye. “Listen, next time you’d like to visit your mom’s beautiful clouds at the office, you need to let us know. That way, I can give you a private tour.”
“Really? I could visit when it’s quiet, and no one is there?”
“Sure.”
“Take care of my daddy.”
“I will, honey. I’ll see you soon.”
She waved goodbye, and I returned to his bedside. I rested my head near his pillow and must have dozed off because when I woke, it was dark outside. My stomach rumbled with hunger, and my nose caught the aroma of a veggie burger in a bag, which I opened to find a note from Emma.
Thought you may be hungry. You snore.
A fizzing Dr. Pepper was set at the side, with a healthy portion of sweet potato fries. I dug into the meal, finishing the crumbs. Another hour passed before James stirred in his bed.
“Ouch.” He groaned and managed to sit up. “Kensi?”
“Hey, hey. Relax, you’re freshly stitched. I found Kensi at Silver Securities, and she’s safe at home with Jacob and Tiffany.”
“Oh, my God, that’s a relief.” He shifted sideways and winced in pain. “Ouch. What the fuck happened to me?”
“You want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Bad.”
“The chemotherapy plan to treat your leukemia has an over ninety percent success rate. That’s what caused your platelet count to drop. Your markers are off, so it’s time for treatment.”
“All right, I think I’m ready for the good news.”
I took his hand. “You have extra two people to care for you: me and Foxy. I’ve already told the office you’re taking time off, the house is being sterilized, and Olivier has agreed to put you on a special diet to help your immune system. We’ve got this, James. Your family’s got this.”
He relaxed back in the bed. “What would I do without you?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
